The Keyword + Year Content/Rankings Hack - Whiteboard Friday

Posted by randfish

What's the secret to earning site traffic from competitive keywords with decent search volume? The answer could be as easy as 1, 2, 3 — or more precisely, 2, 0, 1, 7. In today's Whiteboard Friday, Rand lets you in on a relatively straightforward tactic that can help you compete in a tough space using very fresh content.

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Video Transcription

Howdy, Moz fans, and welcome to another edition of Whiteboard Friday. This week we're going to chat about what is sometimes known as the keyword-plus-year hack. This is the idea that you take a keyword that has some existing search volume, and you add on a date, either a month or a month and a year, and you are able to outrank many of the other players because it's a much less competitive space. I'll show you what I'm talking about. It helps to have an example.

Keyword trend graph

So let's say there are a good number of people every year who search for the best web designs. They want to get design inspiration, or they just want to see what's out there. They're looking for the design gallery, so they search for best web designs. Many times, though, those folks will get results from the last 5 to 10 years, and they'll see those in there and they'll go, "You know, I want something more modern, more updated," and so they will revise their query to "best web designs 2016." In fact, many people even start with these queries. So they want to see the top Android games of January 2017. They want to see the best summer dishes 2017 for planning on cooking something.

They're looking for something that is trendy. Maybe they're looking around fashion, or you see this a lot in searches around hairstyle or anything that is grading products or services. Who are the best real estate agents in Seattle? No, no, not the 2012 edition of "Seattle Met Magazine." I want 2017. Who are the best real estate agents in Seattle 2017? So they'll add this year on there. What's great is, because this year or month only happens as it happens, those searches only happen as we get to that time period, the keyword research will not expose it to you. So if, for example, let's make this 2017, so "best web designs 2017."

We're filming this Whiteboard Friday in January. There have only just started to be a few searches for best web designs 2017. There have only just started to be a few any keyword searches that include the word 2017, because 2017 has just started. Therefore, your competitors are not seeing those in their keyword research list. They're not targeting them. There's not a ton of content out there yet, and so it's easier. Even though the volume tends to be lower than the usual keyword — sometimes it's higher, but usually lower — you will find it is vastly easier to rank for, and it's also the case — this is sort of beautiful — if you're using this tactic, even though it's higher in volume to have "best web designs" versus "best web designs 2017," the one without the year, it is often the case that Google will bias to show more recent content, especially if there are lots of searches that get revised to include the temporal number or date.

That is awesome because it means that you can win twice. You can rank for this one, which, of course, the search volume for it will die off at the end of the year, but you might be able to rank for this one as well. If you keep that updated, and change it up, and add to it, retire the old one, move the old one over to an old URL, put the new one up at the new URL, or keep the same URL if you're trying to build on top of the link authority that you've built to that URL, you can have some awesome ranking and traffic power.

The process

How do you do this?

1. Conduct keyword research using:

• NON-date keywords – You want to conduct the keyword research without using the date. I'm going to start with non-date keywords. So if I'm in Keyword Explorer, or if I'm doing my keyword research in AdWords, or wherever I am, I would search for "best web design," get a big list of my target keywords.
• Last year + keywords – Then I would go look at last year numbers. For example, I would search for "2016 best web design" or "best web design 2016" or anything from my keyword export or list that includes years.
• 2–3 years ago + keywords – I would go two and three years ago, so that I could get a sense for the volume that includes the year. I would also be looking for month at this time.

2. Use Google Trends and/or SimilarWeb/Jumpshot Trends to ID seasonality

Then I'd use Google Trends, or if you're not a fan of Google Trends — they can be a little squirrely with some data — SimilarWeb and Jumpshot also have keyword trend data, at least at the head of the demand curve, that can be good, and try and identify some of that seasonality. If you see that there's a high season that includes a particular month, that's often an indication that month plus year could be there, and then you can go and look in here. I could add "May 2016 best web design" to see if there was actually search volume for just the May keyword.

3. Use Google SERPs to determine if the month/year tactic is popular or underserved in your niche

Then I'm going to use Google SERPs. I'm going to check the keyword difficulty of those SERPs, and I'd probably look to see how many different outlets are producing monthly or annual content. For annual content, it's really going to be very January- and February-centric. That's when it all gets produced. Then, if it is underserved, that means there's more opportunity there, but, even still, it's almost always a lower difficulty, easier to get in there.

4. Target and create that timely content

So, to do that, you're going to be using:

• Recent data. If I were creating a page to target "best web design 2017," I would want to use designs that have come out in the last month only or maybe just at the very end of 2016.
• Employ emerging trends and language. So maybe it's PWAs, maybe it is language around clean design, whatever the trends in the field are right now.
• Serve the recency of the searcher's intent by giving them the ability or showing right up front that my data and my information is very recent and that I'm helping them with what's going now, not just historically.

5. Publish as early in the period as possible

You want to publish this content as early as you can in the period without doing it earlier. So what I don't want to do is have my launch be in December 2016. December is a very quiet period anyway. It's tough to get traction and attention, it's tough to build links, but it also can be the case that you won't hit the search algorithms as recency systems. Google has these algorithms called the QDF, query deserves freshness, and so if they see that you're producing that content a month or two months before it's actually the right date, there's going to be skepticism, both from users who might stumble upon it or find it, but also from engines. So you want to publish early in the period, but not any earlier than that.

With this tactic, yeah, you can hack your way to some pretty awesome traffic. I look forward to hearing from all of you who've done this, who are trying it, and hear your experiences. We'll see you again next week for another edition of Whiteboard Friday. Take care.

Video transcription by Speechpad.com

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A Guide to JSON-LD for Beginners

Posted by alexis-sanders

What is JSON-LD?

JSON-LD stands for JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data, which consists of multi-dimensional arrays (think: list of attribute-value pairs).

It is an implementation format for structuring data analogous to Microdata and RDFa. Typically, in terms of SEO, JSON-LD is implemented leveraging the Schema.org vocabulary, a joint effort by Google, Bing, Yahoo!, and Yandex in 2011 to create a unified structured data vocabulary for the web. (However, Bing and other search engines have not officially stated their support of JSON-LD implementations of Schema.org.)

JSON-LD is considered to be simpler to implement, due to the ability to simply paste the markup within the HTML document, versus having to wrap the markup around HTML elements (as one would do with Microdata).

What does JSON-LD do?

JSON-LD annotates elements on a page, structuring the data, which can then be used by search engines to disambiguate elements and establish facts surrounding entities, which is then associated with creating a more organized, better web overall.

Figure 1 - A conceptual visualization of JSON-LD taking the unstructured content on the web, annotating, and structuring the content to create an organized, structured result.

Where in the HTML (for a webpage) does JSON-LD live?

Google recommends adding JSON-LD to the <head> section of the HTML document; however, it’s okay if the JSON-LD is within the <body> section. Google can also grasp dynamically generated tags in the DOM.

JSON-LD breakdown

The immutable tags (Think: You don’t need to memorize these, just copy/paste)

<script type="application/ld+json"> {

When you see JSON-LD, the first think you should always see is a <script> tag. The <script> tag with a type attribute says, “Hey browser, I’m calling the JavaScript that contains JSON-LD.”

Pro Tip: Close every tag you open when you open it. Think: The salt goes with the pepper, and opening braces come with a closing brace.

Note: If your JSON-LD isn’t in the curly braces, it isn’t being parsed (i.e., curl it up).

"@context": "http://schema.org",

The second element that retains a permanent place in JSON-LD markup is the @context with the value of http://schema.org. The @context says, “Hey browser, this is the vocabulary I’m referencing. You can find it at http://schema.org.” The benefit for an SEO is that we get to use any of the item types and item properties that Schema.org defines.

Additionally, you’re probably noticing that cute, eyelash-like comma at the end of the statement. Commas mean “There’s more. Don’t stop parsing the data.”

Pro Tip: Mind your commas (and always check in Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool). Commas are a traditional sore-spot for many programmers and JSON-LD offers no solace here. Missed commas mean invalid markup.

"@Type": "…",

The final element in the JSON-LD Schema copy/paste squad is the @type specification (after the colon, it becomes all data annotation). @type specifies the item type being marked up. You can find a comprehensive list of all item types at: http://ift.tt/1o5Q6HY.

In the example below, the @type says, “Hey, I’m using the Person item type (You can find it at http://ift.tt/pQ5oHU).” Indeed, if you type the URL into the browser, the item type’s documentation and technical specifications should appear, including any item properties (and often some example use cases).

@type for nesting: When you use a nested item type, you’re going to need to nest another @type (this is particularly important to understanding product and breadcrumb markups).

Attribute-value pairs

The next step is to annotate information about the item type. You can find item properties within the item type’s Schema.org page.

In terms of the syntax of JSON-LD, there are two important elements for each item property:

1. Item Property – This comes from the Schema.org vocabulary and should always be in double straight quotation marks (it may sound pedantic here, but for real the curly and single quotation marks are different and will interfere with validation), and must belong to the properties allowed within the item type (as specified within Schema.org).
2. Value – You insert your value here for the property. It’s vital the value aligns with the property and is singular (i.e., each value must be annotated separately. In the situation of multiple values for an item property, use square brackets). Strings (characters) and URLs need the "double straight quotation marks." Numbers, integers, floats, or doubles (for the programming inclined) alone don’t need quotation marks, but it’s also okay to put them into quotations (this just means they’ll be considered a string data type).

Square brackets

Square brackets exist for situations where there are multiple values for an item property. A common use is leveraging the sameAs item property as using [square brackets] for listing multiple social media platforms.

The square brackets below are saying, “There are multiple values for this item type; Jason Derulo has two given names.”

Note: There is no comma after the last element in the square brackets. This indicates that there is no more information within the square brackets.

Nesting

Nesting is defined as where information is organized in layers, or where objects contain other objects. The image of a nesting doll is a common analogy, where large dolls contain smaller dolls within them, as a relational data organization visual.

Figure 2 - Image source

Nest is a vital aspect for accurately marking up Schema.org JSON-LD, because you’re going to have certain item properties that belong to item types that do not belong to others. For example, below we can see the item property "name" can refer to the event name, the name of the performer, and the name of the venue. The name of the performer and venue are both nested.

Match the correct name item properties to the appropriate item type:

Nesting in JSON-LD starts with the item property. Within the first item type (ex. Movie) you must first use the item property (ex. actor, director, image). That item property is identified and then we must open curly brackets with the new item type (as indicated by the "@type":) and attribute/value data.

JSON-LD nesting checklist:

• Must use the item property (specific to the item type)
• The value lives in curly braces
• You MUST identify the item type of that property
• Attribute/value properties must be included (typically there are requirements for what needs to be included)
• No comma before the closing curly bracket
• Comma after closing curly bracket if there are more item properties (if not, it’ll be followed by a curly brace)

Pro Tip: Indent nested elements for readability.

Common use: Within the Product item type markup, Price is nested within an Offer item type and ratings are also nested!

Pitfalls

If your markup isn’t validating in Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool and you’re unsure of what’s going on, check this list. Below are some major pitfalls in creating JSON-LD structured data markup.

1. Syntax
   • “” are not the same as "" (curly versus straight; the struggle is real)
   • Mind your commas
     • Especially note the Structured Data Testing Tool’s little red “x” on the left-hand rail. Oftentimes the “x” will appear below a missing or extraneous comma
2. Vocabulary
   • Pay attention to required/allowed properties within each Schema.org’s item type specification page
   • Always check in Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool
3. Policy Violation
   • All annotated information must be on the page; adding information that is not on the page will likely not show in search results and is against Google guidelines
   • It is also against the rules to engage in manipulative practices (not a pitfall I’m worried about for you!)
   • Check/review Google’s Structured Data Policies
4. Microsoft (sorry Bill, I’m still a huge fan!)
   • Copy/paste from Word/Excel can create issues (added quotation marks, added style formatting)
   • Microsoft switches "" to “”
   • Solution: use an HTML editor

Process of adding JSON-LD to site

The process of creating JSON-LD structured data markup is dependent on one’s comfort with the Schema.org vocabulary and the JSON-LD syntax. Below outlines a process for a person newer to JSON-LD and Schema.org to create markups, while developing a deeper understanding of the vocabulary.

1. Mentally answer:
   • What do you want to mark up?
     • Goal: Determine that you can mark up the content with the Schema.org vocabulary. Some things may make sense conceptually, but are not available within the vocabulary.
   • Why do you want to mark it up?
     • Goal: Determine whether there is a business case, or perhaps you’re looking to experiment. You don’t want to mark content up just for the sake of marking them up; you want to mark up content that will help search engines understand the most vital information on your page and maximize your ability to demonstrate that you are the best resource for users.
     • Look for resources on markups Google is supporting, how they are using them, and examples.
2. If you’re using a markup that Google is explicitly using (i.e., resources on Google), open the specific documentation page and any relevant examples
   • Don’t feel like you have to create JSON-LD markup from scratch. Use Google’s examples to reverse-engineer your markups. (This isn’t to take away from your understanding of JSON-LD and the Schema.org vocabulary; however, no need to reinvent the wheel! #efficiency ☺).
3. Open up the Schema.org item type page
   • Especially when you’re starting off with Schema.org, skimming the Schema.org technical documentation page to get a gist of what the item type entails, how many sites are using this markup, and its various properties can facilitate a better understanding as you continue along your structured data journey. After a while, this step might become necessary only when attempting a new markup or looking for a corner case.
4. Copy/paste the immutable elements (i.e., from <script to "@type":)
   • Save yourself time and mental energy. Another possibility here is to reverse-engineer an existing example, in which case these element should be present.
   • Occasionally in Google’s examples they’ll leave out the <script> tags, but please note that they are vital for the content within the HTML document. JavaScript can’t be parsed without <script> tags.
5. Add desired item type you’re interested in marking up as the value of @type:
6. List item properties and values
   • This step doesn’t require syntax and is more of a mental organization exercise. Concentrate on what you want to markup — don’t worry about the nitty-gritty yet. Basically, you want to get out your thoughts before you start diving into the "how."
   • Often times you may have ideas about what you want to mark up, but may not necessarily know if it’s possible within the vocabulary or how it’s nested.
7. Add JSON-LD syntax, nesting where required/appropriate
   • The nitty-gritty step where you put everything into the syntax, nest it, and put markup together.
8. Test with the Structured Data Testing Tool
   • Confirm that the structured data is validating and that all item properties are listed and accurate.
9. Determine strategy for adding to the webpage
   • You can simply paste one markup into the <head> section or if a more dynamic/templated solution is applicable. Work with your dev team to get information on the page.
   • Consider whether reference IDs can help supplement your markup (here's a great Moz article on great Moz article on ItemID and ItemRef here and great Moz article on ItemID and ItemRef here here)

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What have your experiences been so far with JSON-LD? Please share your questions and thoughts in the comments!

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Reputation, Rankings, and Revenue: Navigating Local for Non-Technical People

Posted by MiriamEllis

Your local SEO agency needs new clients in 2017. Your department needs to convince management to earmark robust resources for local SEM this year. What if the only thing standing in your way is presentation?

In the 10+ years I’ve been consulting with local businesses, I’ve watched our industry grow to absorb an incredibly diverse set of disparate-seeming tasks. The breadth of the lingo alone is on the verge of becoming a dialect of its own. Here, supporting our Moz Local product, some of my internal communications with team members read like a code, packed with acronyms, abbreviations, and shorthand references that encapsulate large concepts which, while perfectly understood between local SEOs, would likely mean little to many CEOs or local business owners. In other words: shoptalk. Every industry has it.

The ability to codify and convey a complex concept by distilling it down to its essence is critical to the art of the pitch. Tell your new lead or your all-hands meeting that the company’s NAP is inconsistent on FB and YP, their DA is weak, and their owner responses are painfully MIA and watch their eyes glaze over. Today, I’d like to help you get meaningful attention by translating your local SEO work into 3 terms that almost any non-technical party will not only understand, but care about tremendously: reputation, rankings and revenue.

How to explain the main components of local SEO

1. Guideline compliance

Step One: Determine that the business qualifies as local via Google’s definition in their guidelines.

Step Two: Adhere to all guidelines to ensure that the business isn’t spamming Google. The same applies to other major local business data platforms.

How does it impact the 3 Rs?

This protects reputation, in that the business conducts itself in an above-board fashion and doesn’t come across as spammy to search engines or consumers. It protects rankings in that penalties are avoided. It protects revenue in that resources are not wasted on risky practices and funds are being devoted to appropriate forms of marketing for the business model; money and time aren’t being spent on dubious work that can fall apart at any moment.

Further reading:

• Dear SEOs: Please stop spamming Google Maps!
• Video Deep Dive: Google Local Maps Spam, Is it Worth it?
• Google Local Spam Hall of Shame

2. Website

Step One: Develop a technically clean website with good UX for all users/devices. If the site already exists, audit it for problems/penalties and resolve them.

Step Two: Develop the best possible website content in the business’ geo-industry.

Step Three: Properly optimize the site for local search + organic search.

Step Four: Optimize for conversions. All four goals should be a simultaneous effort.

How does it impact the 3 Rs?

This protects reputation in that the website delivers excellent customer service and establishes the business as an authoritative resource. It protects rankings in that penalties and filters are avoided, excellent content rises in visibility, and both local and organic results are won and held. It protects revenue in that conversions are not being lost to unsatisfactory user experiences.

Further reading:

• Match Your Local SEO to Your Business Type with the Local SEO Checklist
• Overcoming Your Fear of Local Landing Pages
• Getting Local Store Locator SEO Right
• Using the Barnacle SEO Method to Prove Local Community Awareness

3. Citations

Step One: Audit the existing citation landscape and correct inconsistent, incomplete and duplicate listings.

Step Two: Ensure listings have been developed on core local business data platforms.

Step Three: Develop geo/industry-specific citations.

Step Four: Manage citations on an on-going basis to catch emerging inconsistencies/duplicates/third party edits.

Step Five: Seek out unstructured citation opportunities (news, blogs, etc.).

How does it impact the 3 Rs?

This protects reputation in that the business is accurately listed in consumers’ preferred places, establishing identity and professionalism — citations are simply publishing and no business wants wrong information to be published about it. It protects rankings in that search engines’ trust in the validity of the business’ basic data is being augmented. It protects revenue in that transactions are not being lost due to the misdirection and frustration of consumers via inaccurate basic data around the web.

Further reading:

• The Definitive List of Local Search Citations
• Duplicate Listings and the Case of the Nomadic New Mexican Restaurant
• Local Centroids are Now Individual Users: How Can We Optimize for Their Searches?

4. Reviews

Step One: Perfect and reinforce customer service policies and staff training.

Step Two: Implement a review acquisition strategy for key citation platforms and for the company website.

Step Three: Respond to reviews.

How does it impact the 3 Rs?

This protects reputation in that incoming customers derive trust from previous customers and the business’ reputation is being carefully managed from in-store service to online sentiment by the owner or agency department, including the improvement/resolution of negative sentiment via owner responses. It protects rankings by dint of surpassing competitors with a larger number of positive reviews on the major platforms. It protects revenue by winning trust-based transactions from new customers who are influenced by previous customers’ sentiment, while ensuring that neglect of negative sentiment or a simple lack of reviews isn’t turning potential consumers away. Actively managed reviews are one of the very best indicators of a responsive, reliable brand.

Further reading:

• Diagramming the Story of a 1-Star Review
• The Complete Guide to Creating On-Site Reviews + Testimonials Pages
• Mastering the Owner Response to the Quintet of Google My Business Reviews
• Survey: 8 Things That Really Cause Consumers to Complain
• SURVEY: What Happens When Things Go South? You Lose More Customers Than You Ever Know

5. Links

Step One: Audit the existing link landscape for problem links and disavow or otherwise resolve them.

Step Two: Earn voluntary links via the publication and promotion of exceptional materials.

Step Three: Carefully seek out relevant link opportunities via safe methods such as local sponsorships, editorial contributions, or other vehicles on quality geo/industry sites.

How does it impact the 3 Rs?

This protects reputation in that the business is associating with the best-of-the-best and isn’t being lumped in by search engines or consumers with shady actors or practices. It protects the website’s rankings in that links are growing the brand’s renown over time, making it an active and visible competitor and proving its relevance to search engines. It protects the website’s revenue both in fostering traffic and conversions from new sources, and in utilizing allowed practices to safeguard against sudden plunges in visibility.

Further reading:

• 11 Ways for Local Businesses to Get Links
• The Ultimate List of Local Link Building Ideas
• The Guide to Local Marketing with Sponsorships

6. Social

Step One: Identify the social hubs preferred by your specific geo/industry consumers.

Step Two: Based on the culture of each platform, develop a policy and strategy for participation.

Step Three: Participate on these platforms in a spirit of sharing rather than selling.

Step Four: Given that Social is an extension of customer service, monitor all social accounts for consumer needs/complaints and enact your policy for resolution.

How does it impact the 3 Rs?

This protects reputation in that you are both contributing to and managing the online discussion of your brand, providing accessibility in a modern vein. It protects rankings in that some social results (like Twitter) will appear directly within the organic results of search engines like Google, establishing a sense of both company activity and consumer sentiment. It protects revenue in that neglected consumer sentiment does not lead to lost transactions or permanent negative reviews.

Further reading:

• The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing for Local Businesses
• 30 Top Social Media Sites to Market Your Small Business Locally
• Three small businesses rocking local social media marketing

7. Offline

Step One: Recognize that anything that happens offline may be published online, whether this relates to company activity driving online content development or consumer in-store experiences driving online sentiment.

Step Two: Take whatever steps necessary to create a cohesive offline-to-online experience, including branding, messaging, signage, promotions, in-store apps or kiosks, and transactional support.

Step Three: Seek out real-world opportunities for establishing your brand as a community resource via traditional methods like print, radio, and television, as well as by participation in appropriate community organizations and events.

How does it impact the 3 Rs?

This protects reputation by cementing for consumers that they will enjoy a specific type of desired experience interacting with your brand, whether on the Internet or offline — it’s all about consistency, and it carries over into reviews. It protects rankings by creating the active, real-world company culture that contributes to both your own online publication strategy and the acquisition of third-party media mentions (online news, blogs, social, etc.). It protects revenue in that the most-desired end of the funnel of all of the above is the transaction, and today, most consumers will arrive at that moment via a combination of both on- and offline influences. By being present in what Google calls its four micro-moments, revenue is safeguarded and, ideally, improved.

Further reading:

• What Really Earns Loyalty in the Local Business World?
• 3 Examples of Optimizing the Customer Experience
• 13 Ideas to Make Your Business More Complaint-Friendly
• Printing your way to SEO success

8. Other media

Depending on the business’ industry, other forms of media may contribute directly to reputation, rankings, and revenue. This could include email marketing, video marketing, or app, tool, or widget development. In essence, these are specialized forms of content development and social promotion that will need to be built into marketing strategies wherever appropriate.

Further reading:

• For More Local Traffic Hit Play ▶ Video Marketing Mini Roundup
• Infographic on Nuts & Bolts of Video Marketing for Local Business
• 9 Killer Location Features for Retailer Mobile Apps
• Video Deep Dive: Leveraging Email for Local Businesses

How much do they need to know?

I’m a firm believer in full transparency and thorough documentation of all work performed so that clients, teams, or bosses can see exactly what is being done, even if the technicalities aren’t perfectly understood by them. As you undertake the various tasks of local SEM, you’ll want to both fully detail the steps you are taking and use every available means for measuring their outcomes. That’s how you keep clients and keep your department funded.

But initially, when first presenting your proposed strategic outline, paring it down to finite goals may greatly improve your communication with industry outsiders, establishing common ground where you are seeing eye-to-eye with confidence. I have yet to meet a business owner who doesn’t instinctively sense the importance of his company’s reputation, rankings, and revenue, so rather than risk losing him with complex jargon at the outset, why not signal that you are on the same wavelength with the simplest terms possible?

As a fellow local search marketer, I know that you, too, have your livelihood wrapped up in the 3 Rs, and I’m wishing you a highly converting 2017!

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